Carly Muscaro Wins National Championships in 400 and 200 at NCAA Outdoor Championships

BRADENTON, Fla. – Capping a four-year career that will long be remembered as one of – if not the – best individual careers by a Merrimack College student-athlete, senior sprinter Carly Muscaro (Ashland, Mass.) of the women’s track & field program raced to a pair of national championships on Saturday evening at the 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships at IMG Academy. Muscaro started her day by triumphing in the 400-meter final with a time of 51.90 seconds, her fourth career crown in the event. She followed that up with her first-ever outdoor title in the 200-meter dash, posting a time of 23.40 to collect her sixth individual national championship, concluding her illustrious career in a familiar position – on top of the podium.

Muscaro started the day with the 400-meter final, looking to pick up her fourth straight national title in the event dating back to a pair of indoor crowns and her first outdoor championship in 2016 as a junior

She started the race in the fifth lane, and by the 20-second mark had pulled ahead of her competition. Muscaro held off a late charge from senior Mary Bergman from Southwest Baptist and senior Shatajah Wattely from Southern Connecticut State to prevail, crossing the finish line with a time of 51.90 seconds

The national-title winning time registered as Muscaro’s best of the season, improving on her nation-best time of 52.06 that she boasted entering outdoor nationals

Rapid Recap (200-meter)

Muscaro won the indoor national title in the 200-meter dash in March, and aimed to repeat that feat in her final outdoor run. In 2016, the 12-time All-American finished as the runner-up at outdoor nationals by .01 seconds

Securing the second-fastest time following the preliminary heats, Muscaro raced off the block and pulled ahead around the 100-meter mark. She left no doubt at the finish line, raising her hands in the air as she reached the end of the race, ending her four-year career as a Warrior with another national championship

Her time of 23.40 bested the competition by .17 seconds, and resulted as a personal best for the Ashland native this season

A Career Like No Other:

Muscaro graduates from Merrimack as the program’s most decorated athlete in its short history and arguably the most accomplished student-athletes to ever represent the Navy and Gold among any team.

Her most notable accomplishments are her six national championships, with four coming in her marquee event, the 400-meter dash (2015-16 indoor, 2016 outdoor, 2016-17 indoor, 2017 outdoor), as well as two more in the 200-meter dash (2016-17 indoor, 2017 outdoor).

She is the only individual student-athlete to ever win a national championship in any sport in Merrimack College history.

Muscaro has garnered 12 All-America accolades dating back to her freshman year, the most in school history by any student-athlete.

Muscaro was named the 2016-17 USTFCCCA Indoor Women’s Track Athlete of the Year in March after an incredible indoor season.

The senior is also a five-time USTFCCA Regional Track Athlete of the Year, earning her third straight accolade for the outdoor season two weeks ago.

Muscaro has competed in NCAA Track & Field Championships in every single season; she became the program’s first individual qualifier as a freshman during the 2013-14 indoor season, setting the tone for the historic career that was to come.

Muscaro has also dominated in the classroom as indicated by her twice being named a CoSIDA Academic All-American, with a third straight selection pending. If she garners this distinction, she will be the fourth student-athlete ever at Merrimack to be a three-time Academic All-American and first in 22 years. Additionally, Muscaro is also a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.

In addition to her national recognition from CoSIDA, Muscaro earned academic recognition from the Northeast-10 Conference to the tune of five NE10 Academic All-Conference selections and four Sports Excellence Awards as the top academic student-athlete in the sport of track & field among the NE10’s member institutions. Muscaro can still add one more academic all-conference nod and one Sports Excellence Award pending the spring 2017 selections

Mike McMahon is in his 13th year covering Merrimack College for The Eagle Tribune and is the founder and managing editor of The Mack Report. Mike also serves on staff as a senior writer at College Hockey News. Follow him on Twitter @MikeMcMahonCHN